I’m gonna be a bear!
In this life I’m a woman. In my next life I’d like to come back as a bear – Let me explain!
When you are a bear you get to hibernate, you do nothing but sleep for six months. I could deal with that.
Before you hibernate you’re supposed to eat yourself silly. I could deal with that too.
When you are a girl bear you bith children (who are the size of walnuts) while you sleep and wake to partially grown, cute, cuddly cubs. I could definitely deal with that.
If you are a mama bear everyone knows you mean business. You swap anyone who bothers your cubs. If your cubs get out of line you swat them too. I could deal with that.
If you’re a bear your mate EXPECTS you to wake up growling. He EXPECTS that will have hairy legs and excess body fat.
Yup, I’m gonna be a bear!
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I LOVE THIS ANALOGY:
You are holding a cup of coffee when someone comes along and bumps into you or shakes your arm, making you spill your coffee everywhere.
Why did you spill the coffee?
“Because someone bumped into me!!!”
Wrong answer.
You spilled the coffee because there was coffee in your cup.
Had there been tea in the cup, you would have spilled tea.
Whatever is inside the cup is what will spill out.
Therefore, when life comes along and shakes you (which WILL happen), whatever is inside you will come out. It’s easy to fake it, until you get rattled.
So we have to ask ourselves… “what’s in my cup?”
When life gets tough, what spills over?
Joy, gratitude, peace and humility?
Anger, bitterness, victim mentality and quitting-tendencies?
Life provides the cup, YOU choose how to fill it.
Today let’s work towards filling our cups with gratitude, forgiveness, joy, words of affirmation, resilience, positivity; and kindness, gentleness and love for others.
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The Black Telephone
Those of us old enough to remember when the phone was wired to the wall, usually in the kitchen, can relate to this story. I loved this read.
When I was a young boy, my father had one of the first telephones in our neighborhood. I remember the polished, old case fastened to the wall. The shiny receiver hung on the side of the box.. I was too little to reach the telephone, but used to listen with fascination when my mother talked to it.
Then I discovered that somewhere inside the wonderful device lived an amazing person. Her name was “Information Please” and there was nothing she did not know. Information Please could supply anyone’s number and the correct time.
My personal experience with the genie-in-a-bottle came one day while my mother was visiting a neighbor. Amusing myself at the tool bench in the basement, I whacked my finger with a hammer, the pain was terrible, but there seemed no point in crying because there was no one home to give sympathy. I walked around the house sucking my throbbing finger, finally arriving at the stairway.
The telephone! Quickly, I ran for the footstool in the parlor and dragged it to the landing. Climbing up, I unhooked the receiver in the parlor and held it to my ear. “Information, please,” I said into the mouthpiece just above my head.
A click or two and a small clear voice spoke into my ear. “Information.”
“I hurt my finger…” I wailed into the phone, the tears came readily enough now that I had an audience..
“Isn’t your mother home?” came the question
“Nobody’s home but me,” I blubbered.
“Are you bleeding?” the voice asked
“No, “I replied. “I hit my finger with the hammer and it hurts.”
“Can you open the icebox?” she asked.
I said I could.
“Then chip off a little bit of ice and hold it to your finger,” said the voice.
After that, I called “Information Please” for everything. I asked her for help with my geography, and she told me where Philadelphia was. She helped me with my math.
She told me my pet chipmunk that I had caught in the park just the day before, would eat fruit and nuts.
Then, there was the time Petey, our pet canary, died. I called, “Information Please,” and told her the sad story. She listened, and then said things grown-ups say to soothe a child. But I was not consoled. I asked her, “Why is it that birds should sing so beautifully and bring joy to all families, only to end up as a heap of feathers on the bottom of a cage?”
She must have sensed my deep concern, for she said quietly, ” Wayne , always remember that there are other worlds to sing in.” Somehow I felt better.
Another day I was on the telephone, “Information Please.”
“Information,” said in the now familiar voice.
“How do I spell fix?” I asked
All this took place in a small town in the Pacific Northwest . When I was nine years old, we moved across the country to Boston . I missed my friend very much.
“Information Please” belonged in that old wooden box back home and I somehow never thought of trying the shiny new phone that sat on the table in the hall. As I grew into my teens, the memories of those childhood conversations never really left me. Often, in moments of doubt and perplexity I would recall the serene sense of security I had then. I appreciated now how patient, understanding, and kind she was to have spent her time on a little boy.
A few years later, on my way west to college, my plane put down in Seattle . I had about a half-hour or so between planes. I spent 15 minutes or so on the phone with my sister, who lived there now. Then without thinking what I was doing, I dialed my hometown operator and said, “Information Please.”
Miraculously, I heard the small, clear voice I knew so well.
“Information.”
I hadn’t planned this, but I heard myself saying, “Could you please tell me how to spell fix?”
There was a long pause. Then came the soft spoken answer, “I guess your finger must have healed by now.”
I laughed, “So it’s really you,” I said. “I wonder if you have any idea how much you meant to me during that time?”
“I wonder,” she said, “if you know how much your calls meant to me. I never had any children and I used to look forward to your calls.”
I told her how often I had thought of her over the years and I asked if I could call her again when I came back to visit my sister.
“Please do,” she said. “Just ask for Sally.”
Three months later I was back in Seattle .
A different voice answered, “Information.”
I asked for Sally.
“Are you a friend?” she said.
“Yes, a very old friend,” I answered.
“I’m sorry to have to tell you this,” She said. “Sally had been working part time the last few years because she was sick. She died five weeks ago.”
Before I could hang up, she said, “Wait a minute, did you say your name was Wayne ?” “
“Yes.” I answered.
Well, Sally left a message for you. She wrote it down in case you called. Let me read it to you. The note said, “Tell him there are other worlds to sing in. He’ll know what I mean.”
I thanked her and hung up. I knew what Sally meant.
Never underestimate the impression you may make on others.
Whose life have you touched today?
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At least he tried.
A man was sitting on the side of the bed watching his wife who was looking at herslf in the mirror. As her birthday was not far off he asked what she would like as a gift. “I’d like to be eight again'”
On the morning of her birthday he rose early and made her a nice bowl of coco Pops and then took her to Alton Towers. What a day! they went on every ride in the park, every roller coaster, everything there was. Five hours later they staggered out of the park with her head still reeling and her stomach feeling upside down.
He then took her to McDonalds where he ordered her a happy meal with extra fries and a chocolate milk shake. Then it was off to the movies with a cartoon, popcorn and favourite sweeties. What a fabulous day.
Finally she wobbled home with her husband and collapsed into bed exhausted.
He leaned over to her and with a big smile asked “well dear, what was it like being eight again?”
Her eyes slowly opened and her expression changed.
I meant my dress size you idiot!”
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Children’s Stories
I had been teaching my three-year old daughter the Lord’s Prayer. For several evenings at bedtime, she would repeat after me the lines from the prayer. Finally, she decided to go solo. I listened with pride as she carefully enunciated each word, right up to the end of the prayer: “Lead us not into temptation,” she prayed, “but deliver us some E-mail.” Amen.
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A little boy was overheard praying: “Lord, if you can’t make me a better boy, don’t worry about it. I’m having a real good time like I am.”
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A Sunday school teacher asked her little children, as they were on the way to church service, “And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?” One bright little girl replied, “Because people are sleeping.”
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One Sunday a young child was “acting up” during the morning service. The parents did their best to maintain some sense of order in the pew but were losing the battle. Finally, the father picked the little fellow up and walked sternly up the aisle on his way out. Just before reaching the safety of the foyer, the little one called loudly to the congregation, “Pray for me! Pray for me!”
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A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, 5, Ryan, 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. “If Jesus were sitting here, He would say ‘Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait”. Kevin turned to his younger brother & said, “Ryan, you be Jesus!”
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After the church service a little boy told the minister, “When I grow up I’m going to give you some money.” “Well, thank you,” the pastor replied, “but why?” “Because my daddy says you’re one of the poorest preachers we’ve ever had.”
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A wife invited some people to dinner. At the table, she turned to their six-year old daughter and said, “Would you like to say the blessing?” “I wouldn’t know what to say,” the girl replied. “Just say what you hear Mommy say,” the wife answered. The daughter bowed her head and said, “Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?”
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At Sunday School they were teaching how God created everything, including human beings. Little Johnny, a child in the kindergarten class, seemed especially intent when they told him how Eve was created out of one of Adam’s ribs. Later in the week his mother noticed him lying as though he was ill, and asked, “Johnny what is the matter?” Little Johnny responded, “I have a pain in my side. I think I’m going to have a wife!”
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PARENTS TAKE NOTE!!!
A teacher started checking homework done by her students. Her husband is strolling around with a smart phone playing his favourite game.
When reading the last homework notes, the wife starts crying with silent tears.
Her husband asked, ‘What happened?’
Wife: ‘Yesterday I gave homework to my students, to write something on the topic, ‘MY WISH ’.
Husband: ‘OK, but why are you crying?’
Wife: ‘While checking the last notes, it made me cry.’
Husband curiously: ‘What’s written in the notes that makes you cry?’
Wife: LISTEN…
My wish is to become a smart phone.
My parents love their smart phone very much.
They care about their smart phone so much that sometimes they forget to care for me.
When my father comes from the office tired, he has time for his smart phone but not for me.
When my parents are doing some important work and smartphone is ringing, within single ring they attend the phone, but not to me…
even if I am crying.
They play games on their smartphones not with me.
When they are talking to someone on their smartphone, they never listen to me even if I am telling them something important.
So, MY WISH is to become a smartphone.
After listening to the note my husband got emotional and asked the wife, ‘Who wrote this??’.
Wife: ‘OUR SON ’.
PEOPLE / PARENTS, remember,
Gadgets are beneficial, but they are for our ease not to cease the love amongst family and loved ones.
Children see and feel everything that happens with & around them. Things get imprinted on their mind with an everlasting effect. Let’s take due care, so that they do not grow with any false impressions…
BROKEN
I was in a shop last night and there was a lady and two kids behind me in the LONG line. One was a big kid, one was a toddler. The bigger one had a pack of glow sticks and the baby was screaming for them so the Mum opened the pack and gave him one; which stopped his tears. He walked around with it smiling, but then the bigger boy took it and the baby started screaming again. Just as the Mum was about to fuss at the older child, he bent the glow sticks and handed it back to the baby. As we walked outside at the same time, the baby noticed that the stick was now glowing and his brother said “I had to break it so you could get the full effect from it.” I almost ran because l could hear God saying to me, “I had to break you to show you why I created you. You had to go through it so you could fulfill your purpose.”
That little baby was happy just swinging that “unbroken” glow stick around in the air because he didn’t understand what it was created to do which was “glow”. There are some people who will be content just “being” but some of us have been chosen by God to be “broken”. We have to get sick. We have to lose a job. We go through divorce. We have to suffer with the disease of addiction. We have to bury our spouse, parents, best friend, or our child because, in those moments of desperation, God is breaking us, but when the breaking is done, then we will be able to see the reason for which we were created.. so when you see us glowing just know that we have been broken but healed by his Grace and Mercy!
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Dying in Service!
One Sunday morning the minister noticed little Alex standing staring at a brass plaque covered with names.
The six year old had been staring at it for some time so the minister stood beside him and and said ‘Good morning Alex’. the wee boy asked what the plaque was and the minister replied it was a memorial for all the people who died in service.
The boy stared for a few more seconds and then asked ‘which service was it, the 9.30am, 10.00am or 11.00am?
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Even though there are days you may wish to change some of the things that happened in the past, there’s a reason that the rear view mirror is so small and the windshield is so big. Where you are headed is much more important than what you have left behind.
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WHAT IS LOVE?
A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, ‘What does love mean?’ The answers they got were broader, deeper, and more profound than anyone could have ever imagined!
‘When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore… So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That’s love.’ Rebecca – age 8
‘When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.’ Billy – age 4
‘Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.’ Karl – age 5
‘Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your french fries without making them give you any of theirs.’ Chrissy – age 6
‘Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.’ Terri – age 4
‘Love is when my mummy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.’ Danny – age 8
‘Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and just listen.’ Bobby – age 7 (Wow!)
‘If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate.’ Nikka – age 6 (we need a few million more Nikka’s on this planet)
‘Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it every day.’ Noelle – age 7
‘Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.’ Tommy – age 6
‘During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn’t scared anymore.’ Cindy – age 8
‘My mummy loves me more than anybody. You don’t see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.’ Clare – age 6
‘Love is when mummy gives daddy the best piece of chicken.’ Elaine – age 5
‘Love is when mummy sees daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.’ Chris – age 7
‘Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.’ Mary Ann – age 4
‘I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.’ Lauren – age 4
‘When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.’ (what an image!) Karen – age 7
‘You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.’ Jessica – age 8
And the final one: The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman’s yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his mother asked what he had said to the neighbour, the little boy said, ‘Nothing, I just helped him cry.’
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When parents get old …
Let them grow old with the same love that they let you grow …
Let them speak and tell repeated stories with the same patience and interest that they heard yours as a child …
Let them overcome, like so many times when they let you win …
Let them enjoy their friends just as they let you …
Let them enjoy the talks with their grandchildren, because they see you in them …
Let them enjoy living among the objects that have accompanied them for a long time, because they suffer when they feel that you tear pieces of this life away …
Let them be wrong, like so many times you have been wrong and they didn’t embarrass you by correcting you …
LET THEM LIVE and try to make them happy the last stretch of the path they have left to go; give them your hand, just like they gave you their hand when you started your path!
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Heaven sent!
A very poor woman called a radio station asking for help from God. A non-believer who was also listening to this radio program decided to make fun of the woman. He got the woman’s address from the radio station and told his secretary to take a large amount of foodstuff to the woman. However, he gave the following instruction, “When the woman asks who sent the food, tell her that it’s from the devil.”
When the secretary arrived at the woman’s house, the woman was happy and grateful for the help received. She started taking the food inside her house. The secretary then asked her, ”are you not concerned about who sent you the food”
The woman replied, ”No, because when GOD orders, even the DEVIL obeys!
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On Halloween
Strangers come to us, beautiful, ugly, odd, or scary, and we accept them all without question, compliment them, treat them kindly, and give them good things.
Why can’t we live like that all the time?
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People will forget what you said.
People will forget what you did.
But people will never forget how you made them feel.
So make someones day today.
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Every minute someone leaves this world behind.
We are all in “the line” without knowing it.
We never know how many people are before us.
We can not move to the back of the line.
We can not step out of the line.
We can not avoid the line.
So while we wait in line –
Make moments count.
Make priorities.
Make the time.
Make your gifts known.
Make a nobody feel like a somebody.
Make your voice heard.
Make the small things big.
Make someone smile.
Make the change.
Make love.
Make up.
Make peace.
Make sure to tell your people they are loved.
Make sure to have no regrets.
Make sure you are ready.
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The best example of explaining Heaven and God
In a mother’s womb were two babies. One asked the other: “Do you believe in life after delivery?” The other replied, “Why, of course. There has to be something after delivery. Maybe we are here to prepare ourselves for what we will be later.”
“Nonsense,” said the first. “There is no life after delivery. What kind of life would that be?”
The second said, “I don’t know, but there will be more light than here. Maybe we will walk with our legs and eat from our mouths. Maybe we will have other senses that we can’t understand now.”
The first replied, “That is absurd. Walking is impossible. And eating with our mouths? Ridiculous! The umbilical cord supplies nutrition and everything we need. But the umbilical cord is so short. Life after delivery is to be logically excluded.”
The second insisted, “Well I think there is something and maybe it’s different than it is here. Maybe we won’t need this physical cord anymore.”
The first replied, “Nonsense. And moreover, if there is life, then why has no one ever come back from there? Delivery is the end of life, and in the after-delivery, there is nothing but darkness and silence and oblivion. It takes us nowhere.”
“Well, I don’t know,” said the second, “but certainly we will meet Mother and she will take care of us.”
The first replied “Mother? You actually believe in Mother? That’s laughable. If Mother exists then where is She now?”
The second said, “She is all around us. We are surrounded by her. We are of Her. It is in Her that we live. Without Her, this world would not and could not exist.”
Said the first: “Well I don’t see Her, so it is only logical that She doesn’t exist.”
To which the second replied, “Sometimes, when you’re in silence and you focus and listen, you can perceive Her presence, and you can hear Her loving voice, calling down from above.”
Maybe this is one of the best explanations of the concept of GOD.
– this lovely parable is from Your Sacred Self by Dr. Wayne Dyer
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Kindness matters
One day a rich man gave a basket full of rotten food to a poor man.
The poor man smiled and left the palace with the basket, ….emptied the basket of it’s content and cleaned it,
Put beautiful flowers in it and returned it to the palace and gave it to the rich man.
The rich man was surprised and asked the poor man, “Why “?
” I gave you a basket full of rotten things and you bring it back filled with beautiful flowers. ”
The poor man replied the king:
” Every human being gives what is in his heart. ”
What is inside you is what you give out. Be kind always.
You don’t need to first become rich to be kind, kindness is free! Whether rich or poor … all can be kind, what you only need is …
” A RICH HEART “!
Kindness matters……!
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There is a moral here!
…and Here
Chef’s Daughter
The Story:
Once there was a girl who was complaining to her dad that her life was so hard and that she didn’t know how she would get through all of her struggles. She was tired, and she felt like as soon as one problem was solved, another would arise.
Being a chef, the girl’s father took her into his kitchen. He boiled three pots of water that were equal in size. He placed potatoes in one pot, eggs in another, and ground coffee beans in the final pot.
He let the pots sit and boil for a while, not saying anything to his daughter.
He turned the burners off after twenty minutes and removed the potatoes from the pot and put them in a bowl. He did the same with the boiled eggs. He then used a ladle to scoop out the boiled coffee and poured it in a mug. He asked his daughter, “What do you see?”
She responded, “Potatoes, eggs, and coffee.”
Her father told her to take a closer look and touch the potatoes. After doing so, she noticed they were soft. Her father then told her to break open an egg. She acknowledged the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he told her to take a sip of the coffee. It was rich and delicious.
After asking her father what all of this meant, he explained that each of the three food items had just undergone the exact same hardship–twenty minutes inside of boiling water.
However, each item had a different reaction.
The potato went into the water as a strong, hard item, but after being boiled, it turned soft and weak.
The egg was fragile when it entered the water, with a thin outer shell protecting a liquid interior. However, after it was left to boil, the inside of the egg became firm and strong.
Finally, the ground coffee beans were different. Upon being exposed to boiling water, they changed the water to create something new altogether.
He then asked his daughter, “Which are you? When you face adversity, do you respond by becoming soft and weak? Do you build strength? Or do you change the situation?”
The Moral:
Life is full of ups and downs, wins and losses, and big shifts in momentum, and adversity is a big part of this experience.
And while many of us would rather not face adversity, it doesn’t have to always be a negative thing. In fact, handling adversity can be a positive experience that can lead to personal development.
You choose how you respond to adversity, whether you let it break you down or you stand up in the face of it and learn from it. In many instances, facing adversity gives you a chance to learn important lessons that can help you grow as a person.
When facing adversity, it’s important to recognise your freedom to choose how you respond. You can respond in a way that ultimately limits you, or you can choose to have a more productive response that could potentially open windows of opportunity that we didn’t know existed.
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A Wise Man’s Jokes
A wise man once faced a group of people who were complaining about the same issues over and over again. One day, instead of listening to the complaints, he told them a joke and everyone cracked up laughing.
Then, the man repeated the joke. A few people smiled.
Finally, the man repeated the joke a third time–but no one reacted.
The man smiled and said, “You won’t laugh at the same joke more than once. So what are you getting from continuing to complain about the same problem?”
The Moral:
You’re not going to get anywhere if you keep complaining about the same problem but do nothing to fix it.
Don’t waste your time complaining, expecting other people to continue to react to your complaints. Instead, take action to make a change.
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“Later”
‘Talk to you later.’
‘I’ll call you later.’
‘See you later.’
‘We’ll walk later.’
“I’ll tell you later.”
We leave everything for later, but forget that “later” does not belong to us.
Later, our loved ones are no longer with us.
Later, we don’t hear them and we don’t see them.
Later, they are just memories.
Later, the day becomes night, the force becomes helpless,
the smile becomes a grimace, and life becomes death.
“Later” becomes “too late
Do it now ♥️
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Wise words for a happy marriage!
Marriage is not a 50/50 deal. It is a 100/100. Always remember that!
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A Brother’s Love
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness.
The doctor explained the situation to her little brother and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, “Yes, I’ll do it if it will save her.” As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded.
He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, “Will I start to die right away?” Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.
And he was willing to do that for her.
Question: What are we willing to do for others? Also does it remind you of anyone else?
Note : I have been unable to verify this story but included it as i feel it is inspirational.
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What would my Mum think of that?”
Athlete Abel Mutai representing Kenya, was just a few feet from the finish line, but he was confused with the signage and stopped thinking he had completed the race. The Spanish athlete, Ivan Fernandez was right behind him and realising what was happening, he started shouting at the Kenyan for him to continue running; but Mutai didn’t know Spanish didn’t understand. Then the Spanish pushed him to victory. A journalist asked Ivan, “Why did you do that?”
Ivan replied, “My dream is that someday we can have a kind of community life”. The journalist insisted “But why did you let the Kenyan win?” Ivan replied, “I didn’t let him win, he was going to win”. The journalist insisted again, “But you could have won!” Ivan looked at him and replied, “But what would be the merit of my victory? What would be the honour of that medal?
What would my mum think of that?”
Values are transmitted from generation to generation.
What values are we teaching our children?
Let us not teach our kids the wrong way to WIN!
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Keep the Fork
There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things “in order,” she contacted her minister and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in.
Everything was in order and the minister was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her. “There’s one more thing,” she said excitedly. “What’s that?” came the minister’s reply. “This is very important,” the young woman continued. “I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand,” the minister stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to say. That surprises you, doesn’t it?” The young woman asked. “Well, to be honest, I’m puzzled by the request,” said the minister. The young woman explained. “My grandmother once told me this story, and from there on out, I have always done so. I have also, always tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement. ‘In all my years of attending church socials I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, ‘Keep your fork.’ It was my favourite part because I knew that something better was coming…like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance!’
So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder “What’s with the fork?” Then I want you to tell them: “Keep your fork … the best is yet to come.” The pastor’s eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death.
But he also knew that the young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She had a better grasp of what heaven would be like than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge. She KNEW that something better was coming.
At the funeral people were walking by the young woman’s casket and they saw the pretty dress she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand.
Over and over, the minister heard the question “What’s with the fork?” And over and over he smiled. During his message, the minister told the people of the conversation he had with the young woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. The minister told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either.
He was right. So the next time you reach down for your fork, let it remind you ever so gently, that the best is yet to come. Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us. Show your friends how much you care. Remember to always be there for them, even when you need them more. For you never know when it may be their time to “Keep your fork.”
Cherish the time you have, and the memories you share. being friends with someone is not an opportunity but a sweet responsibility.
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Count your Blessings
A movie theater displayed a short film which began with a snapshot of the room ceiling. No details, no colors. Just a white ceiling.
The same scene remained displayed for 6 long minutes when the moviegoers started to get frustrated. Some complained about the film wasting their time and others started to leave.
Suddenly, the camera lens slowly started to move until it reached down towards the floor. A small child who appeared handicap was lying fixed on the bed, suffering from a spinal cord tear.
The camera then pans back up to the ceiling with the following words:
“We showed you only 8 minutes of this child’s daily activity, only 8 minutes from the scene that this handicap child watches at all hours of his life, and you complained and weren’t patient for even 6 minutes, you couldn’t bear to watch it..”
Sometimes we need to put ourselves in others shoes in order to realize the magnitude of blessings we are given and to thank God for bestowing us with such blessings that we take for granted.
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Subject: survival kit
Items Needed:
Toothpick
Elastic Band
Elastoplast
Pencil
Eraser
Chewing Gum
Mint
Candy Kiss
Tea Bag
Why?????
1) TOOTHPICK – to remind you to pick out the good qualities in others. – Matt. 7:1
2) ELASTIC BAND – to remind you to be flexible, things might not always go the way you want, but it will work out. – Romans 8:28
3) ELASTOPLAST – to remind you to heal hurt feelings, yours or someone else’s. – Col. 3:12-14
4) PENCIL – to remind you to list your blessings everyday. – Eph.1:3
5) ERASER – To remind you that everyone makes mistakes, and it’s OK. – Gen.50:15-21
6) CHEWING GUM – to remind you to stick with it, and you can accomplish anything.- Phil 4:13
7) MINT – to remind you that you are worth a mint. – John 3:16-17
8) CANDY KISS – to remind you that everyone needs a kiss or a hug everyday. – 1 John 4:7
9) TEA BAG – to remind you to relax daily and go over that list of blessings.- 1 Thess. 5:18
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Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
There are two days in every week we should never worry about, two days that should be kept free from fear and apprehension.
One is yesterday, with its mistakes and cares, its aches and pains, its faults and blunders. Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control.
All the money in the world cannot bring back yesterday. We cannot undo a single act we performed, nor erase a single word we’ve said. Yesterday is gone.
The other day we should not worry about is tomorrow, with its impossible adversaries, its burden, its hopeful promise and unknown performance. Tomorrow is beyond our control.
Tomorrow’s sun will rise either in splendour or behind a mask of clouds – but it will rise. And until it does, we have no stake in tomorrow, for it is as yet unborn.
This leaves only one day – today! Anyone can fight the battles of just one day. It is only when we add the burdens of yesterday and tomorrow that we break down.
It is not the experience of today that drives people mad. It is the remorse of bitterness for something that happened yesterday, and the dread of what tomorrow may bring.
Make TODAY the best day it can be, and live one day at a time!
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The Bible in 50 words...
God made…Adam bit…Noah arked
Abraham split…Joseph ruled…Jacob fooled
Bush talked…Moses balked…Pharaoh plagued
People walked…Sea divided…Tablets guided
Promise landed…Saul freaked…David peeked
Prophets warned…Jesus born…God walked
Love talked…Anger crucified…Hope died
Love rose…Spirit flamed…Word spread
God remained.——————————————–
Are you the One?
One tree can start a forest.
One smile can begin a friendship.
One hand can lift a soul.
One word can frame the goal.
One candle can wipe out darkness.
One laugh can conquer gloom.
One hope can raise your spirits.
One touch can show you care.
One life can make a difference.
Be that ONE today!
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The Cracked Water Pot
A water bearer had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect for which it was made. But, the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.
After 2 years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. “I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you. I have been able to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don’t get full value from your efforts”.
The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I planted flower seeds on your side of the path. Every day as we walk back, you’ve watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without your being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.”
Moral: Each of us has our own unique flaws. We’re all cracked pots. But it’s the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so interesting and rewarding.
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They missed him
They were looking for a lion, He came as a lamb, and they missed Him.
They were looking for a warrior and he came as a Peacemaker, and they missed Him.
They were looking for a king, He came as a Servant, and they missed Him.
They were looking for liberation from Rome, He submitted to the Roman stake, and they missed Him.
They were looking for a fit to their mould, He was a mould breaker, and they missed Him.
Will you?
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Some Thoughts
If you can start the day without caffeine,
If you can get going without pep pills,
If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,
If you can eat the same food everyday and be grateful for it,
If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,
If you can overlook it when those you love take it out on you when, through no fault of yours, something goes wrong,
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,
If you can ignore a friend’s limited education and never correct him,
If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend,
If you can face the world without lies and deceit,
If you can conquer tension without medical help,
If you can relax without alcohol,
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,
If you can say honestly that deep in your heart you have no prejudice against creed, colour, religion or politics….
Then, my friend, you are almost as good as your dog.
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Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you a mechanic.
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My friend handed me a very old metal match box car today. Then he said I found this yesterday and it reminded me of a major life lesson. I held it in my hand and looked at it while he talked.
He said, “when I was in elementary school, we did a Secret Santa in my class room at school. All the kids drew a name and then we exchanged presents the last day before Christmas break”. He said, “my parents went out and bought me a nice new toy to give to the child I had drawn. My mom wrapped it up and the kid loved the present that received it.” He then said, “I went and found my present from a boy in my class that I didn’t really know. It looked like it had been wrapped with news paper.” He said, “I opened it and it was that little car you are holding in your hand.” He said, “… but when he gave it to me it was dirty and looked well played with.” He said “I was mad I had given such a nice gift and he had put so little effort into his”.
I felt cheated. He said, but later I learned the kid lived in a very run down shack. His mom was sick and his daddy had left them years before. He said they barely had enough money to have heat and food. He said “when I realized he had given me one of his only few toys, I felt ashamed for the way I treated him when I got the gift”. He said I only learned how poor he was after he quit coming to school and it we were told his mom had died and he had been sent to foster care. I never saw him again. He said I kept this little car all these years because I know it was the best present I have ever gotten.
I thought about this story and looked at that little car sitting in my hand and I cried. How many times in my life have I been given something from someone and not appreciated it’s TRUE value. This kid had given with his heart when he had so little and it made me realize I need to always remember to never judge anything on the surface and always look deeper.
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